


Touchdown Dance

by StardustDragon



Series: Love Like That [6]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 10:42:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7888129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardustDragon/pseuds/StardustDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael and Ryan celebrate their six month anniversary. Ryan learns something about Michael's past, and Michael learns an important fact about Ryan and Nicole.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touchdown Dance

**Author's Note:**

> "Touchdown Dance" by IM5

Michael and Ryan have eaten at Valenti’s a handful of times since their first date, but tonight is special. Michael called ahead to reserve their booth and have them place a small vase of flowers on the table- he has a secret love of flowers and their meanings, even if he isn’t usually home enough to properly take care of them.

Ryan meets Michael at his apartment and they walk the five blocks to Valenti’s, hand-in-hand. They’re both wearing a shirt and tie, something they reserve for special occasions. Michael thinks it’s a shame, because Ryan cleans up well.

The hostess greets them and leads them to their table near the back and says that their server will be right out.

They get a few minutes to talk while they wait, and Ryan admires the beautiful blue-purple orchids in the vase. He asks Michael what they mean.

“Romance, love, and beauty,” Michael explains. “They’re my favorite flower, but they can be tricky to take care of, so I don’t normally get them.”

Ryan smiles. “They’re beautiful.”

“Hey there, boys, what can I get you started with tonight?” their server greets. It’s Lindsay, the girl who always seems to be working when they’re there.

Michael decides he doesn’t want to drink tonight, so Lindsay brings them two waters and sends their orders to the kitchen.

Ryan reaches his right hand out for Michael’s left and they meet in the middle.

“You know what Nicole told me this morning?” Ryan questions, taking a sip of his water. “She told me she wants to grow up to be a ‘skin writer’. She meant tattoo artist, but she spent the next hour drawing on me with markers.”

Michael bites his lip to try and hold back his laugh, but it comes out anyway.

“I couldn’t get it all off, Michael, this isn’t funny!” Ryan protests, but he’s laughing, too.

When their laughter dies down, Michael leans across the table to kiss him. “You’d look good with ink, babe.”

Ryan agrees that he’ll consider it, and they move on to other topics.

“How’s Gavin doing, by the way?”

“He’s good. Meg took some time off work until he can get around on his own again, but so far he says he’s feeling fine. I mean, it’s going to be like another five weeks or whatever until he gets the leg cast off, so we had to put a hold on swimmy bevs until he’s up to it.”

Ryan holds up a hand to pause him. “’Swimmy bevs’?”

“I haven’t told you about swimmy bevs? Oh man, it’s great. You just fuckin’ float all day and drink. It’s a tradition for us.”

“Ah, gotcha. Sounds like fun.”

“Says the guy who doesn’t drink.”

“Yeah, but I bet you guys are a sight to see.”

“Hell yeah we are. Gavin is, if possible, even more stupid when drunk.”

Their meals arrive and break up the conversation about Gavin. The older woman at the booth behind them is discussing a local woman who adopted a child and then kicked him out, but continued to cash the checks she received for his care.

Michael’s stomach turns over and he closes his eyes to take a deep breath.

“You okay, dear?”

“Yeah, I just, um. I never told you this before because it wasn’t really relevant, but I was in foster care for a long time. My parents died in a car accident when I was five and we didn’t have any other family, so.”

Ryan puts down his fork and listens.

“I was in and out of foster homes until I was eighteen because no one wanted...” he pauses, but Ryan can hear the unspoken ‘me’ in his tone. “Anyway, a few of the homes were awful, filled with other kids who were underfed and uncared for, so I raised hell, but no one listened. They branded me as a teenager with anger issues, and since everyone who came into the orphanage wanted a baby, well.

“When I turned eighteen I took what few things I had and got the hell out until I could find a stable job and make it on my own. My younger brother was just young enough to get adopted into a family, but he was five years younger than me and the records are sealed until he's twenty-one next year.” He pauses, turning his next words over in his mouth. “People like that make me sick.”

Ryan doesn’t know what to say. Michael doesn’t open up about his past very often, and now he’s just revealed a huge part of it.

He reaches out and takes Michael’s hand, moving his thumb in a soothing pattern.

“Sorry, I didn’t meant to drop a bombshell, I just...” he shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

“Don’t apologize. Thank you for letting me know that part of you.”

Michael cracks a small smile. “You fucking sap.”

“The sappiest,” Ryan agrees.

Mood lightened, they return to their meals.

\---

"Can I tell you something important, Michael?" Ryan asks over dessert.

"Of course."

"Nicole isn't biologically mine. The paperwork for her adoption was finalized three years ago, but technically, she's my niece. I've raised her on my own since her mother, my twin sister, died four years ago. She was twenty-four."

"What about her dad?"

"He was...out of the picture. He didn't want any part of Kaylee or Nicole."

"Does she know?"

Ryan shakes his head. "She's asked me before who her mother is, but I've never told her. She's too young to understand."

Michael hums, eyes focused on Ryan's. "You've done an amazing job raising her, Ryan. She's a great kid."

Ryan smiles. "Thank you."

"Thank  _you_."

\---

After dinner, they go to the park and catch the tail end of the sunset. The sky is a beautiful mix of pink, purple, and blue.

“Gorgeous,” Ryan comments with a small smile on his face.

“Ryan, you dope, you’re not even looking at the sunset,” Michael laughs.

“I know.”

They share a deep kiss on the bench in the middle of the park. When they pull apart, Michael admires the sunset’s glow across Ryan’s face.

“Michael,” Ryan says to get his attention. “I love you.”

His partner’s face lights up with a smile. “I love you, too, Ryan.”

They kiss until it’s dark and then make their way back to Michael’s apartment.

There’s lit candles throughout the living room and rose petals leading a trail to Michael’s bedroom.

“Did you do this?” Michael asks, turning to face Ryan.

“No? I’ve been with you all night. Unless I have a double who is somehow just as much of a romantic as I am.”

“That would be why they call it a double, Ryan.”

“Who else has your key?”

Michael pauses and then shakes his head. “Just Jeremy. Fucking Jeremy.”

“I’d prefer it if you were fucking me, but whatever makes you happy, dear.”

Michael slaps him on the chest. “Help me blow these out before they start a fire. The last thing I need is to burn down the building.”

\---

Once done, Michael leads Ryan by the hand to the bedroom. The blinds are open, letting in a soft light from the city. Ryan pushes Michael gently down on the bed, disturbing the rose petals on the comforter.

Ryan pulls off his shirt and tie, revealing his colorful chest. 

Michael laughs and leans up to trace the faded marks. "She really got you."

"Yeah, but it's okay, because I got you," Ryan replies, leaning in to press their lips together. 

"Cheeseball," Michael chuckles as Ryan's lips move down and find his sensitive neck. 

Ryan untucks Michael's shirt so he can slide his hands underneath and touch him. He jumps slightly at Ryan's cold hands on his ticklish sides, but they warm up quickly against Michael's skin. 

\---

“I love you,” Michael says after, feeling a warmth bloom in his chest.

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> EDIT: had to change Michael's age to five because I screwed up my math and said his brother was five years younger than him. Go me


End file.
